Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a robot cell apparatus which performs assembly work or the like using a robot and a production system which is equipped with the plurality of robot cell apparatuses, and more particularly to a coating system and a coating method which perform coating to parts.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, many kinds of assembly apparatuses each using a robot have been widely used. In recent years, an assembly apparatus which is able to achieve, by a robot, assembly work formerly performed by man power has been required. In the assembly work by man power, a human cell production system in which a conveyor is eliminated and work is directly carried by a person has been introduced. Under the circumstances, to replace such a human cell with a robot cell, an assembly system which is able to grasp various parts and perform assembly work has been required.
In the robot cell, there is a case where it is necessary to coat parts with grease, sealant or the like. Consequently, as well as the human cell, it is necessary in one robot cell to apply a plurality of kinds of coating agents respectively to one part (or one component) at accurate positions and with accurate amounts. Particularly, in coating work for precision parts, accurate control with a micrometer unit is necessary.
Conventionally, as a coating system which performs, by using a robot, coating to an object to be coated, the coating system which moves the robot having the coating apparatus to the position at which the object to be coated exists and then performs the coating to the object to be coated is known (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S61-122086). Also, the coating system which conversely moves, by the robot, the object to be coated to the position of the fixed coating apparatus and then performs the coating to the object to be coated is known (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-081955).
However, in the above conventional coating system, there are following drawbacks in a case where the plurality of coating agents are applied to the one part only by the one robot cell.
Firstly, in the coating system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S61-122086, since the plurality of robots corresponding to the number of kinds of coating agents are necessary, a large space for holding them is necessary. In addition, a takt time is prolonged.
Secondly, in the coating system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-081955, when a user intends to apply many kinds of coating agents to the object to be coated, it is necessary to arrange many coating apparatuses and move the object to be coated among the arranged coating apparatuses by the robot, whereby the problem same as above arises.
The present invention has been completed in consideration of the above problems, and an object thereof is to achieve, in a coating system, shortening of a takt time and space saving even in case of applying a plurality of kinds of coating agents to a plurality of portions of one object to be coated.